Benchmade 710-3 CPM-M4 review/thoughts

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Lennyo3034

Joined
Nov 27, 2012
Messages
490
I ordered a Benchmade 710-3 in CPM-M4 from the exclusive special. I had actually intended to order the M390 version, but they were gone by the time I got around to it. My favorite knife steel is M4 anyways, so this wasn't a big issue for me. This is the most expensive knife I've ever bought and had high hopes for it.

Unfortunately I was quite disappointed by it when it arrived. The blade was badly off-centered and there was a chip on the edge about one inch from the tip. The edge itself was actually scary sharp, more so than any of the other benchmade M4s I own. I returned this knife to the vendor and they replaced it without hassle.

My replacement has arrived and I'm still undecided on it. The blade is centered, but doesn't operate as smoothly as my other benchmades, and there is still a [smaller] chip in the same location. I really like the shape of the blade, however hate the grip. It doesn't feel comfortable at all, looks ugly in my opinion, and doesn't provide positive control. In comparison, I really like my BM presidio and griptillian, as well as spyderco manix. This replacement 710 is also no where near as sharp as the first one. In fact, I would say its the least sharp of all the ones I own. I'm sure I can sharpen it though and it won't be an issue.

One thing I find parculiar was that both knives had a chip in them. I suppose it's possible the vendor simply grinded down on the blade and re-centered it, but I find that unlikely. CPM-M4 is supposed to be very tough and chip resistant, so perhaps this is a sign that they are running hardness levels of M4 much higher than before? This would make the chip a "not necessarily a bad thing".

I'm undecided what to do with it now. It definitely doesn't suit my "perfect knife" that I thought it would. Even if it were a perfect 710, I don't like the handle feel and think the knife itself is a little on the large side. I'm not sure I want to send it back for another replacement or just exchange it for a different knife entirely. They have the G10 M4 griptillian as well as the contego right now, but I prefer a full liner and really don't like the blade shape of the contego. One thing I do like about the 710 handle is the lack of backspacer. Instead they use barrel spacers similar to my Manix.
 
It doesn't operate as smooth because it's coated. Over time the coating will wear down, and it will be smooth as any other.

I took mine apart and used a felt wheel + chromium oxide to polish the whole area, and now it's the smoothest 710 I have.
 
I doubt the vendor in this case does much grinding and recentering. The manufacturer might, but definitely not the vendor. The 710 is one of the few Benchmades that I really like. There is a lot of cutting edge packed into the handle. The thin profile allows the knife to ride without any issue as well. Same you are undecided, but such is life. I have 2 of the 710s currently, but have owned others.
What is the primary use of the knife going to be? Collection? Daily user? Self defense?
 
I had the m390 710 and hated it, piss poor g-10 that provided no grip, just enough recurve to be a P.I.T.A to sharpen and a weird handle to blade ratio where the blade felt bigger than the handle, a lot of people love the 710 and say its benchmades best folder, I haft to disagree I hated the knife, IMO too lightweight to where I didn't trust it do to the types of things I expect my knives to be capable of doing , just overall I hated it again just my opinion, I got strapped for cash a few weeks ago and put my 275 and 810 up for sale I love the 810 and loved the 275 more, the 275 sold :( but i still have the 810 :D and IMO it's a much better knife, If your unhappy with the 710 see if KW will exchange it for a spyderco gayle bradley you said you didnt like the 810 and the gayle bradley is pretty much the gold standard for m-4 knives, It doesn't have a coating so your gonna haft to keep it oiled but I love love love mine and would never get rid of it. again just my opinion here.
 
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The knife will likely be a daily user. I don't really collect knives and I would use it for self defense if necessary, but that would mean I'm out of ammo =(.

What are your guys' thoughts on the chipping in M4? Do you see it as a good sign or bad?
 
benchmade is running there cpm-m4 higher than they used to I believe by 2 Rc but don't quote me on that , But I do know for sure it is ran harder now than before, Cpm-m4 is known for its impact resistance I don't see why it would be chipped out , I definitely wouldn't take it as a good sign If that were my knife, It would be in a box on it's way back to KW after a proper conversation as to why I'd received 2 knives with chipped blades brand new out of the box. That knife place used to be my go to knifeshop until they stopped taking paypal they don't pay dues here so I'm not gonna say there name but they'll take care of you I'd definitely give them a call and get that knife returned, but that's just me, and BTW they are just a retail store they don't sharpen or do anything to the blades they just get them from the manufacturer and post them up and sell them.
 
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I love my 710-3. Mine came off center with a loose pivot, very loose. Plus it felt a bit gritty in operation. I shot some silicon lube in the pivot and worked it good to get any gunk out. I assume its factory lube that came out. I then lubed it with a drop or two of oil. I put some plummets tape on the pivot screw, and tightened it until there was no blade play. She is still a touch stiff. But is smoothing out nicely.

I have used mine for cutting some very woody sapplings and vines from my fence. I did accidentally hit the blade on the mettle fence and expected a roll or large chip on the blade. But, to my surprise, there was only a very tiny chip you could hardly see. The blade is still able to shave hair even after a couple weeks of edc.

I love the g10 grips on mine and think its one of the most comfertable Benchmades I own. The liners are thicker than the 810 liners. Overall I think the 710-3 is a good solid knife with great steel. I would buy another if I had the cash.
 
Is the chip one inch from the tip because the blade is hitting the barrel spacer? I don' have a 710 so I don't know if that lines up.
 
Now that I look at it, yes that could be exactly whats happening. When the knife is closed, there's obvious clearance, however when the knife is closed aggresively, it's possible that the edge is making contact.

I called KW and they said to send it back. They had a 710-2 in M390 that they would exchange me. Overall I'm very happy with the vendor, just a little dissappointed in BM. Since I wanted the M390 version in the first place anyways, I will be satisfied if it comes perfect.

I'm still considering a 810 as my do all tactical type knife.
 
your getting ripped too the price of the m4 710 is 195.00 bucks I bought 2 m390 710s and they were only 148.00 bucks, Id ask for the the rest of my money back or some store credit or something as your getting a knife that was about 50 bucks cheaper if you get the m390 one. Just trying to help you out brother right is right, and the price difference in the 2 knives is way off I'd see if they wouldn't do something about that , but that's just me.
 
I should have mentioned that they are refunding me the difference and covering shipping. I don't think KW is to blame at all and they are handling it nicely. Thanks for pointing it out though.
 
Awesome yea they are good peeps be careful bout mentioning there names Bf is funny like that and doesn't like when you say vendors names who don't pay dues here.
 
Allen R. said:
your getting ripped too the price of the m4 710 is 195.00 bucks I bought 2 m390 710s and they were only 148.00 bucks, Id ask for the the rest of my money back or some store credit or something as your getting a knife that was about 50 bucks cheaper if you get the m390 one. Just trying to help you out brother right is right, and the price difference in the 2 knives is way off I'd see if they wouldn't do something about that , but that's just me.
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Actually the M4 ones are $170.

Just like with the M390 version, it is listed at BM's MAP price, and you put in a coupon code once it's in your cart.

The M390 version got bumped up to the $195 listing before they sold out, and the M4 version came in at that price once they were put up.
 
Lennyo3034 said:
Now that I look at it, yes that could be exactly whats happening. When the knife is closed, there's obvious clearance, however when the knife is closed aggresively, it's possible that the edge is making contact.

I called KW and they said to send it back. They had a 710-2 in M390 that they would exchange me. Overall I'm very happy with the vendor, just a little dissappointed in BM. Since I wanted the M390 version in the first place anyways, I will be satisfied if it comes perfect.

I'm still considering a 810 as my do all tactical type knife.
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The thumb studs stop the blade, and I can't force my blade to go further into the handle that it normally does. The blade on mine will NOT hit the stand offs. If there is a chip in your blade it was probably the result of something coming into contact with the blade while it was open.
 
BTW, I love the 810. Lenny, if you decide to go with the 810 you may be happy. Before I could carry and use mine I did some modification though. The liner jimping on mine was very aggressive, and made the knife painful to use. I smoothed the jimping out, and she's a dream to use now. With the heavier blade of the 810, mine opens real smooth with just a flick of the thumb, and closes just as easy. And, it's solid with no play. The 810 is a bit bigger than the 710 though. And, one thing I don't like is that the metal liners feel cold when I first grip the 810. I prefer more thicker g10 so I don't feel the liners so much. But, that is my only complaint besides the aggressive jimping.
 
Allen R. said:
I had the m390 710 and hated it, piss poor g-10 that provided no grip, just enough recurve to be a P.I.T.A to sharpen and a weird handle to blade ratio where the blade felt bigger than the handle, a lot of people love the 710 and say its benchmades best folder, I haft to disagree I hated the knife, IMO too lightweight to where I didn't trust it do to the types of things I expect my knives to be capable of doing , just overall I hated it again just my opinion, I got strapped for cash a few weeks ago and put my 275 and 810 up for sale I love the 810 and loved the 275 more, the 275 sold :( but i still have the 810 :D and IMO it's a much better knife, If your unhappy with the 710 see if KW will exchange it for a spyderco gayle bradley you said you didnt like the 810 and the gayle bradley is pretty much the gold standard for m-4 knives, It doesn't have a coating so your gonna haft to keep it oiled but I love love love mine and would never get rid of it. again just my opinion here.
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I love the 710 for all the reasons you seem to hate it. The handle is an excellent shape that molds to the hand extremely well, especially when using an icepick grip or performing extensive cutting in a normal grip. The recurve makes it a monster of a slicer and is modest enough as to not increase sharpening difficulty. The knife is light but incredibly strong and carries like a -much- smaller knife. I've beat the living hell out of my M390 710. I hate excessively large and clunky knives that do not offer an increase in performance for the extra bulk.

I own both the 710 and the Gayle Bradley (which I consider an absolutely amazing knife), but I find myself using the 710 more due to its faster deployment, better blade geometry, and rougher aesthetic. I also own a 810, which I consider a bit too large for EDC and poorly shaped for extended cutting [excessive jimping and too thick for good slicing] and the 275 (best large hard use folder out there, dollar per dollar, imo). Both are great!

As to the OP, not sure what to make of the spotty quality control on the M4 710's. A real shame you've had bad luck, :(.
 
If your gonna do a recurve blade though go all out like I have a zt 0300 and have had emerson commanders , true recurves, and I can sharpen them fine, It's those little small slight recurves I'm not a fan of. You know what opinions are like though, you love the 710 and I hated mine. To each his own.
 
Allen R. said:
I had the m390 710 and hated it, piss poor g-10 that provided no grip, just enough recurve to be a P.I.T.A to sharpen and a weird handle to blade ratio where the blade felt bigger than the handle, a lot of people love the 710 and say its benchmades best folder, I haft to disagree I hated the knife, IMO too lightweight to where I didn't trust it do to the types of things I expect my knives to be capable of doing , just overall I hated it again just my opinion, I got strapped for cash a few weeks ago and put my 275 and 810 up for sale I love the 810 and loved the 275 more, the 275 sold :( but i still have the 810 :D and IMO it's a much better knife, If your unhappy with the 710 see if KW will exchange it for a spyderco gayle bradley you said you didnt like the 810 and the gayle bradley is pretty much the gold standard for m-4 knives, It doesn't have a coating so your gonna haft to keep it oiled but I love love love mine and would never get rid of it. again just my opinion here.
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What is this word?
 
frenchmade said:
What is this word?
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Certainly, the word is "have" and a number of folks may write something akin to "hafta." It is sorta like spelling as it sounds, and I am kinda guilty of similar transgressions.
I suspect that Allen R. is aware of his spelling, particularly since he is able to correctly use the word "weird," which many here would screw up.
 
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